1. Learning with Purpose Andover Citizens Survey 2012 Report Prepared by The Center for Public Opinion, University of Massachusetts Lowell Francis T. Talty, Ph.D. and Joshua J. Dyck, Ph.D., Co-Directors Jenifer Whitten-Woodring, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Political Science Alicia Robillon, Undergraduate Research Assistant The Students of Introduction to Political Analysis

2. Learning with Purpose The Center is a non-partisan, not-for-profit research center at UMass Lowell with the goal of producing and disseminating valuable information of political relevance to people in our surrounding community. We are strongly committed to: Student involvement and participation in the research process Community outreach Rigorous standards About the Center for Public Opinion http://www.uml.edu/Research/centers/public-opinion/

3. Learning with Purpose Every 4 years, the town has commissioned a survey to examine the attitudes of Andover residents regarding: Community Life Local Government Participation Town Services Surveys as a means of responsiveness and accountability "Polling is merely an instrument for gauging public opinion. When a… leader pays attention to poll results, he is, in effect, paying attention to the views of the people. Any other interpretation is nonsense.“ – George Gallup About the survey What is this for?

4. Learning with Purpose 1200 randomly selected Andover households Sent pre-notification Sent surveys in October Reminder letter Option to complete the survey online Response rate: 555/1200 = 47% Telephone surveys typically are 10-15% RR MOE of about +/- 5% Data weighted to census counts on age, gender, households with children and education level Methodology By the numbers…

5. Learning with Purpose Andover is a desirable place to live and its citizens enjoy a high quality of life by almost every metric The town scores highest in its ratings on safety and overall appearances, including high marks for open spaces Citizens move to Andover for its location, schools, services, and property value stability Crime is not a problem in Andover and citizens see fewer problems in 2012 than in 2008 Andover enjoys high rates of participation indicating a community with high levels of social capital Most town services are rated quite highly; satisfaction with Andover town government is quite high Summary of Findings A Snapshot

6. Learning with Purpose Quality of Life By most metrics, a great place to live!

7. Learning with Purpose Community Characteristics

8. Learning with Purpose Overall community 76% to 82%: +6 points Openness/Diversity 70% to 76%: +6 points Housing Options 45% to 50%: +5 points Overall appearance 90% to 94%: +4 points Notable Changes since 2008 All metrics were the same or better in 2012

9. Learning with Purpose What makes Andover a desirable place to live? Schools, Services, Property Values, Geography

10. Learning with Purpose Cultural Opportunities 48% to 40%: -8 points Private schools 28% to 36%: +8 points Property Values 88% to 83%: -5 points Location/Access 85% to 90%: +5 points Civic/Volunteer Opps 33% to 38%: +5 points Notable Changes since 2008 Stability over change

11. Learning with Purpose Problems? Automobile speeding and Unsupervised Youth

12. Learning with Purpose Vandalism 33% to 19% : -14 points Property Crime 31% to 23% : -8 points Litter 26% to 18%: -8 points Unleashed dogs 19% to 13%: -6 points Unsupervised youth 23% to 30%: +7 points Notable Changes since 2008 Fewer problems in the last 4 years

13. Learning with Purpose Property Use Opinion of Andover’s current mix of property uses Not enoughJust about rightToo much Single-family houses7885 Residential Subdivisions97417 Multi-family housing126621 Rental housing176617 Office buildings48611 Large retail stores35614 Small shops & businesses34642 Open space/farmland3268<1

14. Learning with Purpose All Real Estate Options Improved Single family houses +3 Residential subdivisions +4 Multi-family housing +6 Rental housing +9 Office buildings +6 Large retail stores Those saying ‘not enough’ increased 13 points from 22% to 35% since 2008 Those saying ‘just about right’ dropped from 70% to 61% but this is still the modal answer Notable Changes since 2008 Housing Option Opinions Improved; growing support for large retail

15. Learning with Purpose Civic Participation in Andover High rates of participation

16. Learning with Purpose Civic Participation in Andover Continued

17. Learning with Purpose Rating Town Services and Programs

18. Learning with Purpose Rating Town Services and Programs

19. Learning with Purpose Streets 54% to 71%: +17 Sidewalks 54% to 67%: +13 Parking Availability 49% to 57%: +8 Public Transportation 43% to 54%: +11 Economic Development 62% to 69%: +7 Public Schools 95% to 88%: -7 Leaf Pickup 81% to 75%: -6 Notable Changes since 2008 Town Services and Programs

20. Learning with Purpose How are Town Officials Doing? Only one significant change from 2008: Finance committee rating went from 67% to 74% (+7)

21. Learning with Purpose Andover is a desirable place to live and its citizens enjoy a high quality of life by almost every metric The town scores highest in its ratings on safety and overall appearances, including high marks for open spaces Citizens move to Andover for its location, schools, services, and property value stability Crime is not a problem in Andover and citizens see fewer problems in 2012 than in 2008 Andover enjoys high rates of participation indicating a community with high levels of social capital Most town services are rated quite highly; satisfaction with Andover town government is quite high Summary of Findings A Snapshot

22. Learning with Purpose Final report by year end Full analysis and time trends from 2004 and 2008 Cross-tabs Thank you Questions and Comments? Post-script

23. Learning with Purpose

25. AgeCensusRaw DataWeighted Data 18-3427%4%20% 35-4415% 17% 45-5419%26%21% 55-6415%26%17% 65 and up23%29%26% Sex Male45%41%45% Female55%59%55% Education High School and Below24%5%22% Some College14%9%15% Associate’s Degree8%5%8% Bachelor’s Degree26%32%27% Graduate/Professional Training28%49%28% Household Type Households with Children (17 and under)31%36%31% Households without Children69%64%69% Notes: Weight was constructed using the iterative proportional fitting algorithm or “raking” as specified by Deming and Stephan (1940). The weight was constructed using STATA v11.0 by using the ipfweight command constructed by Bergmann. Methodology Achieving a Representative Sample